Improved gang-punches



, unimo STATES PA;

JOHN noLBRooK Kuurne, or MARBLEHED, MAssAcHusnrT's.

IMP'Roi/ED GANG-PUNCH Es.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,230, dated October 30, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,- J oHN H. KEATING, of Marblehead, in the county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented a' new and useful Improvement in Gang-Punches; yand I do hereby declare that the followingis afull, clear, and exact ydescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same.

The prese-nt invention relates to a machine to be used for the punching of the uppers of boots and shoes of that class which are secured about the foot of the person by cords or other suitable lacings; and it consists in punching at one and the same time the whole series of holes which are to be made in the upper, the punches being so arranged Within the machine as to be susceptible of adjustment with regard to each other, so that a line drawn through the centers of the series ot' punches may be made tocorrcspond with the direction of the edge of the upper -leather which is to be punched, whereby the holes punched will be at equal and uniformdistances fromV the said edge for its entire len gth ,the importance of which is obvious.

In addition to the above, other and important improvements in the machine are made,

as will be obvious from the detail description of the machine, reference being had to the. accompanying plate of drawings, in wlnch- Figure l is a plan or -top view, with a portion of the machine broken out and removed to show the arrangement of the series of punches; and Fig. 2, a partial vertical section taken in the plane ot' the line wx, Fig. 1, with the remainder ot" the machine in side elevation. 4

A in the drawings represents the bed-plate of the machine, in and between two parallel standards, B B, of which an arm, C, is hung upon a fulcrum, D, one end of which extends toward the front end of thebed-plate A, over the series of vertical punches E, the arrangement of which will be presently explained, with side arms, F, one upon each side. The under surface of these side arms, F, is covered with cork, wood, or-other suitable material, which will not injure or impair the cuttingedges of the punches E when brought. down upon them.

Each punch E is made the same as ordinary punches used for punching leather, paper, &c., and is secured by one end, in any suitable manner, in a square. block, G, one for each punch, moving in and between parallel Ways or bars H of the bed-plate A. Througheach of these'square blocks G screws a screw-bolt, I, turning loosely at one end in the inner end, J, of the ways H, and passingloosely through the other end of such ways H, having a square head, K, upon their outer ends,t'or convenience in turning them by asuitable key or other tool, as shown in Fig. 2, a collar, L, being Xed upon each of the said screw-bolts within the ways H, to prevent them from becoming disengaged from the bed-plate, and thus cause them, as

they are turned, to move the square blocks G Y forward or backward within the ways H, ac-l cording as they are turned either to the right or left, cach block moving' independent of the others. l

The punches all project above the top surfaces ot' the block G, but with their upper ends in the same horizontal plane or level, and over the whole series ot' punches a strip ot' indial rubber or other suitable elastic material is placed, voi.' sufficient thickness to nearly, it' not entirely, cover and inclose the projecting portions of the punches, as plainly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Back of the rear edge ot' the rubber strip O a former, P, is

placed, with its edge upward, which former is secured by set-screws Q passing through the slots R of each oi' the arms S to the bed-plate A, the curvature of this former corresponding to that of the leather which constitutes the' O, and the lever-arm C brought down upon the saine, the punches will be made to penetrate the leather, punching holes at similar points therein, which holes will be at uniform and equal distances from the edge of the leather. The lever-arm C is then lifted up from the punches, when the elasticity of the rubber strip O forces the leather oi of Y the punches, and it (the rubber) assumes its'original position, the rubber, as the arm C is brought down, yielding suciently to allow thel punches to enter and puncture the leather as desired.

A spring may be arranged in connection with the lever C, in suitable position for throwing it up after having been brought down upon the leather; and to bring it down with sufficient force upon, the leather the end or short arm R2 of the lever may be connected with a treadle-foot, as is obvious without further explanation.

Any number of punches may be used, according to the number of holes which are to be punched in the leather, and they may be furthermore placed at any desired distance apart, it being only necessary that they should be arranged in such a manner as to be sus ceptible oi' adjustment with regard to each other, so that a line drawn through their centers will exactly correspond with the direct-ion of the edge of the leather.

In the use of the machine the former O will be changed and another substituted forit, ac-

cording to the curvature of the edge of the leather upper; and therefore I do notintend to limit myself to any one particular shape or curve of the said former O.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isfl. The sliding punch-holding blocks Gr, in combination with the screws I Within the Ways H, operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The former I), in combination with the flexible strip O of the punches E, substantially as described, for the purpose 'specied 3. The combination and arrangement of the sliding blocks Gr, screws I, Ways H, rubber O, punches E, former P, and vibrating arms C, substantially asv described, for the purpose specied.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 15th day of February, 1866.

JOHN H. KEA'IING. 

